Fading Away
by W.W.W. 147
Summary: Odd loses something that can't be replaced. Will he fall apart or will his friends save him from destoying his life? Rated for situations and language in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Disaster Strikes

A/N: Hey, I'm back with a new story. I've been wanting to write for a while now, but my evil English teacher likes to assign absorbent amounts of work. It's her hobby. Anyway, I've had this idea for a while, but never put it on paper or in text. Hope you like it. I take all reviews, flames and all.

To the readers of "Happily Ever After?" the ending will be posted soon. I'm working it.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko**

**Chapter 1: Disaster Strikes**

It was your average morning at Kadic Jr. High. All the students were talking in the courtyard before the morning's first class. Five students in particular were hanging around the small shelter were the vending machines were located. "How did you sleep last night, Ulrich?"

"Not one wink, Aelita. Some purple freak was performing his latest project last night and I lost my earplugs," Ulrich replied pointing to his best friend.

"Now who could that be?" Odd asked sarcastically. Suddenly, the PA system sprang to life.

"Will Odd DellaRobbia please report to the principle's office? Odd DellaRobbia please report to the principle's office. That is all."

"What did you do now Odd?" Yumi enquired.

"I don't know. I didn't do anything wrong." Odd's friends gave him the 'sure you didn't' look. "I didn't!" Odd pleaded his case.

"Odd, you better go before you get in more trouble," Jeremie suggested, "we'll tell Mrs. Hertz you'll be late."

"Okay, I'll see you guy's later." Odd left the group and started to walk to the principle's office, a trip he took often. _What did I do this time? I haven't broken any rules lately. What could it be? Maybe I'm getting a reward for my short film. Ya! That's gotta be it! _Odd continued to wonder why he had to go to the office for the seventh time this semester until he got to his destination. He knocked on the door.

"Please come in Odd." Principle Delmas requested with his deep voice. Odd entered and sat in the seat the head administrator had gestured to.

"Did I do something wrong, sir?" Odd asked with a worried tone.

"No, not at all son." Odd sighed a breath of relief. _Wait, did he call me son? _"I have some bad news I just received."

"What happed sir?" Delmas took a deep breath.

"Well, this is hard to say, but….."

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"The answer is 16 to the third power ma'am."

"Correct, Jeremie. Nice job." Mrs. Hertz praised. Two hours had passed since Odd had left for the office and Jeremie was beginning to become concerned. Usually Odd was there no more than half an hour. "Class your attention please. The bell will ring in a moment and I need to give you your homework assignment." The whole class groaned. "Read chapter 14 and do all questions on page 264." -RIINNNGGGGGGGGGG-

"Have a great day class! See you tomorrow!"

The students of Mrs. Hertz's first period Biology class stampeded out of the classroom like a pack of wild rhinos. If you fell down, you were to be trampled. Fortunately, no one required a nurse's pass today. After exiting the classroom, Jeremie, Ulrich, and Aelita met up in the hallway. "Have either of you seen Odd?" Ulrich asked, worry evident in his voice.

"No," both the blonde and pink haired girl had replied.

"I would have thought he would back by now," Ulrich exclaimed.

"He's probably in the cafeteria." Aelita started. "You know he never misses a meal." After Aelita's reassurance, the trio headed down to the lunch room. On the way they met up with Yumi, who also had not seen Odd. When they got to their destination, to their relief, their purple clad friend was sitting at their usual table. Something was off though; Odd had his head on the table and….wasn't eating! Ulrich turned form relieved back to concerned. The gang walked quickly up to the blonde sitting by himself.

"Hey, Odd. How did your 'meeting' go?" Ulrich asked. Odd picked his head up. His eyes were red and puffy, as if he was crying. Odd never cried; he thought it was too girly. His hair had lost it's usual point and hung to one side. And his shirt was stained, he was definitely crying. "It wasn't that bad, was it?" Still, Odd said nothing.

"What's the matter, Odd?" Aelita asked, becoming concerned herself. "Please tell us!" Odd looked at his friends again. He tried to talk, but the words wouldn't come out. He wanted desperately to tell his long time friends; he couldn't. It was like he lost his voice.

"Out with it man!" Ulrich screamed. Odd gave the brunette one of the nastiest looks he could muster. Extremely uncharacteristic of the blonde boy. "Tell us!" Ulrich was becoming impatient, shaking his friend. Odd became enraged, and punched Ulrich in the mouth. Ulrich fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Odd became hysterical and ran out of the cafeteria without looking back.

Ulrich was on the ground. Odd's punch connected with his nose, which was bleeding a bit. Yumi ran to get some napkins to wipe up the blood while Jeremie went to get the nurse. Many of the students in the lunch room saw the events unfold. Most were speechless. Odd had punched out his best friend and Odd was one of the nicest kids in the school; he never hit anyone before.

The star athlete finally sat up after holding his nose for some time. He was beside himself. How could his friend hit him? Ulrich was angry and concerned at the same time, but the first was a stronger feeling. By this time, Jeremie and Nurse Dorothy had reached the fight scene. "There's nothing to see here! Back to your seats please!" the nurse ordered. "Whoever hit you had a great amount of force. You're lucky your nose wasn't broken." The nurse whipped out her first aid kit and put a large bandage on Ulrich's nose. "Don't put any pressure on it. You don't want further injury," Dorothy warned.

"Okay, nurse." Ulrich responded, showing he understood.

"Mr. Delmas is out tonight, so he'll see you first thing in the morning." With that, the white clad nurse walked back to her office. After that, the group, minus Odd, quickly ate, left the cafeteria, and headed to Ulrich's dorm. They were surprised that Odd was not there.

"Where could Odd be?" Aelita asked, to no one in particular.

"I don't really give one iota. I don't want to see his face any time soon. He had no reason to hit me. I didn't do anything to him." Ulrich ranted angrily. " It's not my fault something is wrong with him."

"Don't say that, Ulrich." Yumi said, concerned. "Odd was disturbed. Something happened to him that was difficult to comprehend. I just hope he's okay."

"Oh ya, poor Odd!" Ulrich yelled. "I don't give a damn about Odd's problems! He's just an oversized baby, wanting attention!"

"Oh ya, I just think you're the baby!" Aelita screamed, totally out of character. "You're just a big baby who only cares about himself! You should be out there looking for your best friend, not sulking over a sore nose!" And with that, the pink haired teen stormed out of the room.

"Wait up, Aelita! I'm coming too!" Jeremie quickly followed Aelita.

"They're right, Ulrich. You should be coming with us to find Odd, someone who you've known your whole life. Call me if you grow up!" Yumi followed suit and left the room, leaving Ulrich alone. The brunette couldn't help but be mad with Odd, but couldn't just leave Odd in the unknown. He had to help.

"Yumi! Wait!"

A/N Well, I hope you liked chapter one. I whipped it up after I finished 'Happily Ever After?', my other FF. Tell me what you liked and didn't like. Read and Review and I'll update soon. Bye for now.

WWW147


	2. Chapter 2: Collapse

A/N This chapter is short, but extremely important. I worked really hard on this chapter. I even did a little research. Anyway, enjoy chapter two!

**Disclaimer: If one's poor, one cannot be sued.**

**Chapter 2: Collapse**

After Odd had punched out Ulrich, he ran out of the cafeteria and into the woods. He was still hysterical; he was still crying. The blonde couldn't believe how insensitive his best friend was. Had Ulrich given him the opportunity, he would have told the brunette what was wrong. "He can go shove it." Odd muttered to no one in particular. "He's such a jerk. Only worried about himself."

The day's events were cruel and depressing. He thought back to the dining hall again; this time, with more thought. _I guess that hitting Ulrich wasn't the right thing to do. He didn't deserve it. He just wanted to know what happened. I was acting extremely foolishly to one of my few friends. He's just so persistent when he wants something; he pushed me over the edge. And that look in his face……I'll never forget it. It wasn't of anger, loathing, or hate, it was of surprise. I hope he doesn't hate……." _Odd was thrown out of thought. He stumbled over a seemingly invisible rock.

The purple clad was becoming wobbly and unstable. The stress was getting to him. Each new step took more effort and energy to make. Odd didn't notice too much, as more flashbacks and memories arose. _The people taken from me…. They can't……can't be……gone_. Odd pleaded with reason. _I just….just talked_ _to them the other…..other day. They….they sounded fine on the…….on the phone. _Crystalline tears streamed down the downtrodden teen's face. _Maybe the police…..maybe they got the wrong people. Isn't…isn't it possible that there are more than two DellaRo…… _Odd froze in his tracks and grabbed his chest. Severe chest pain crippled the already trouble-ridden teen. Adding to his pain, the unsuspecting boy also began to shake uncontrollably. Unable to cope, Odd's body shut down. The blonde went limp, slipping into unconsciousness as he fell. He was sprawled on the lush, green forest floor. All that remained was the purple shadow of a boy afflicted.

A/N I hope you liked it. Sorry if you were disappointed with the length. Chapter 3 will be much longer. I had to put this in it's own chapter to emphasize the event. I also want to wish you readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah. I'll be back before New Years. Happy Holidays! Review, too! Bye.


	3. Chapter 3: Search and Rescue

A/N I just want to thank all of you readers and reviewers for being patient with me. Sometimes, when I'm writing a chapter, you know what you want to convey, but you just can't put it into words. That's kinda what I did last chapter, but I managed. It's been a thing with me lately, school strains the creative mind. Anyway, I bet you don't want to hear me ramble; you came for chapter 3. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko**

**Chapter 3: Search and Rescue**

"Odd! Buddy, where are you? ODD!" Ulrich was growing more and more concerned with every passing second. Yumi, Aelita, Jeremie were also avidly searching for the blonde boy. They all split up in different directions to cover more ground. Jeremie took the southwest corner, Aelita took the southeast, Yumi traveled in the northwest direction, leaving Ulrich with the northeast. They frequently kept in contact to report their progress.

Out of the four, Ulrich was the most distraught of the group. _Why was I such a fucking jerk to Odd? I knew he was totally out of it. I should have just let him be. I practically took his head off when I shook him. It's all my fault. I'm the worst friend ever! _"Odd, where are you? Odd! Odd, please answer!" His only response was the wind whistling in the trees. "Odd, I'm sorry! Do you hear me? I'm sorry! Just tell me where you are!" No dice. The green clad boy was becoming hysterical himself, the emotional stress was getting to him. _What if something happened to him? What if….No! He's fine. He's just sulking somewhere. He's just fine! What could happen? -_RIINNNGGGG!- Ulrich was startled by his phone and almost jumped out of his shoes. He looked at the phone that requested his attention; it was Jeremie. "Hey Jeremie. Any progress?"

"No. I haven't found him yet." The blonde genius confessed. "Neither have Yumi or Aelita. Any luck on your end?"

"Not even a trace of Odd. Do you think he's okay, Jeremie?" Ulrich asked, needing reassurance.

"He's a big boy Ulrich. I'm sure he's fine." Jeremie soothed. "Keep in contact."

"Okay. Thanks, Jeremie" Ulrich hung up. He knew his other blond friend was trying to calm him down, but Ulrich had a gut feeling that Odd wasn't safe at all. Ulrich continued into the dark forest, looking for the slightest hint of purple.

Hours of walking and searching later, the artistic teen was still nowhere to be found. Ulrich had progressed from unease, to discomfort, to concern, to worry, to fear, and was closing in on hysteria. He literally pulling his hair out. Ulrich was now 100 sure that Odd was in danger. He couldn't hide this long. Odd never moped this long before. And he knew that it was all his fault. That's what got to him the most. He hurt his best friend.

Ulrich did something he almost never did. Something he didn't even do when he lost his grandmother. His emotions couldn't act as a barrier anymore; the dam burst. Ulrich began to cry. Streams of tears leaked form the boy's chocolate brown eyes. His shirt became spotted and damp.

Ulrich persevered, however. Impaired vision would not stop him. Fear would stop him. Danger would not stop him. Nothing would stop him. _Odd, I'm gonna get you, buddy! _Ulrich used whatever energy he had left and sprinted forward. He rushed past bushes, trees, and other flora. He sped through a quarter mile of forest and could've kept going, but he tripped over a big log, landing face first. "Ow! Fucking log!" The athlete checked his nose to see if he had injured it further. He landed on his chin, and was missing a layer of skin, but his nose was safe.

Ulrich went to kick the offender, but stopped mid-motion. His eyes bugged out. He couldn't believe his eyes or his fortune. He didn't trip over a log… he tripped over an unconscious Odd.

_Odd!_

"Odd! Odd, buddy! Are you okay?" No reply. Ulrich scuttled to his best friend's side. He noticed that the boy was sprawled out. Ulrich figured he either fainted or collapsed. The brunette pulled his best friend's head in his lap. Upon closer inspection, Ulrich noticed that Odd's eyes were red and puffy; his shirt was also stained. _He was crying. _"Odd, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!" Ulrich was extremely ashamed of himself. "I'm calling the cavalry right now. I'm so sorry." Ulrich embraced his knocked-out friend. _I'm sorry…_

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"It's seems as if he slipped into an unconscious state for a short period of time. From the looks of it, it seems like Odd experienced a severe panic attack. I would think it was triggered by post-traumatic stress." Nurse Dorothy explained. "Do you know what happened to him?"

"He ran away before he told us, ma'am" Aelita stated. "We have no idea."

"I do, but it's not my place to tell you what he didn't. When he wakes up, you can ask him yourselves." The white clad woman said, observing Odd.

"So, he'll be okay?" Ulrich asked, worry infused in his voice.

"He'll be tired for a little while, but just fine by tomorrow."

"Thank you." The nurse nodded and went back to her paperwork.

"Ulrich, we're going to hit the sack," Jeremie said while yawning. "That all-night search took everything out of us." Aelita and Yumi nodded.

"You guys go, I'm gonna stay until he gets up." Ulrich waved goodbye to his friends and then took the seat next to the bed. Ulrich studied the face of his shorter friend. The redness subsided and the tears dried up. From afar, it seemed that the teen was just fine, but Ulrich knew better. Something was wrong, and he was going to find out.

A/N 1: I need to stress that this is NOT a SLASH fic. Ulrich feels responsible for Odd's erratic behavior.

A/N 2: Sorry it was short., next one will longer. If you plan to review (I hope you all do,) please tell me something you DIDN'T like. This needs to be improved, I just need your feedback. Was is too short? Too rushed? Too sappy? Anything! Thanks in advance. Will update soon. Bye.


	4. Chapter 4: Shattered

A/N I've read your reviews and the verdict is in. I need to make longer chapters. Well are you in for a treat. This chapter is much longer than all the others. And sorry about the long wait. Anyway, here's chapter 4.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko (See Disclaimer)**

**Chapter 4: Shattered**

It was quiet and serene in the white sterile office. Only Odd's breathing could be heard. The slumbering teen looked like a different person, not the pathetic entity he appeared the night before. His eyes were no longer red, his face no longer tear stained. The artist almost looked peaceful in his dreamy state. There was a small, almost unnoticeable, smile on his face. Definitely not the boy Ulrich found on the ground the night before.

It had been five hours since Jeremie, Aelita, and Yumi left the infirmary. Ulrich had been desperately fighting exhaustion in his bedside seat. The green clad had been awake for a good twenty-eight hours. He wanted to be awake when the purple clad woke up. Ulrich had to talk to his friend before he, himself dozed off. If he didn't, he'd go to bed feeling guilty, something he preferred to avoid. He learned that lesson the hard way when XANA unleashed his "Killer Music," as Jeremie dubbed. He thought he might never get to apologize to Odd. He couldn't stand hurting anyone he considered family. The athlete mentally cursed himself for even bothering Odd the day before.

However, that wasn't Ulrich's main drive. What kept him going, however, was the urge to just talk to his friend. He wanted just to see how Odd was doing in general. He hadn't really talked to Odd since….well, in forever. They always used to talk about school, sports, how stupid Sissy was, everything.

All Ulrich wanted to do was to shout "WAKE UP ODD," but he knew that his best friend needed rest.

Ulrich needed something to keep his eyelids from closing, and he knew the nurse could help him with that. "Nurse Dorothy," Ulrich started, "do you have any coffee?" The nurse looked up from her paperwork, showing signs of fatigue herself.

"I was about to put on a pot. Would you like a cup?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

"How do you take it?" the white clad woman asked.

"Black, please." Ulrich responded.

"Can you make that two?" A third voice rang out. Ulrich's head did a one-eighty and almost fell off his body.

"Odd!"

"Happy to see me?" Odd asked, flashing his trademark grin. Ulrich jumped out of his chair and gave Odd a huge hug.

"I'm glad you're okay!" Ulrich said gleefully.

"So am I, but I won't be in a minute." Odd replied, his lungs being crushed. Ulrich realized he was crushing the purple clad so he released his embrace. The brunette shifted himself to the edge of the bed, allowing the blonde to have some breathing room. After a few moments, the star athlete locked his eyes on Odd's blue orbs.

"Odd, I wanna tell you how sorry I am. I acted like a royal jerk yesterday. I shouldn't have bothered you. It was none of my business, what happened to you. I just wanted to know a little too much." Odd knew when Ulrich was sorry. It was the only time he made steady eye-contact with anyone. He also knew that this wasn't really Ulrich's thing to apologize. He was moved by his friend's apology. But, Odd also had an apology to issue, and he too, locked his eyes into the chocolate brown pools in front of him.

"It's okay, Ulrich. I was still a little shell shocked after my meeting with Delmas. But, I should be the one who's sorry." Odd explained.

"Why?" Ulrich looked puzzled.

"Well, I almost broke your nose," Odd pointed at the out-of-place bandage on the slightly taller boy's face, "and I ran away. You guys had to look for me all night to find me. I got you all sick and worried. I'm the one to blame, not you." Odd admitted.

"I'm just glad you're okay. A lot worse could have happened to you in the forest; you got lucky." Ulrich responded.

"Ya, I did, but you and the others are the main reason I'm okay. Without you guys, I'd still be out there. Thanks for lookin' out for me, Ulrich." Odd reached over and gave his long-time friend a big hug.

"I've got two cups of black coffee," Nurse Dorothy announced, breaking up the embrace. She handed each boy a cup of the black brew.

"Thanks," both teens said simultaneously.

"You're welcome, boys." The nurse turned to walk away, but suddenly remembered something. "Odd, please know that you and Ulrich have an appointment with Principal Delmas at 3 o'clock today."

"Because of last night?" Odd asked innocently.

"I'm afraid so." The nurse responded. "So remember, 3 o'clock today."

"I'll remember, ma'am. Thank you." Dorothy walked back to her desk, and began filling out more medical forms. Odd began to grumble as soon as the woman walked away. He wasn't too happy about going back to the principal's office for the _second_ time in a twenty-four hour span; not too happy at all. He was reluctant to ever see that man again, much less in two hours.

"So, Odd, do you want to tell me what happened yesterday?" Ulrich asked again, this time politely. The blonde could see the concern burning in his friend's eyes. Odd wanted to tell him, to tell him everything, but he couldn't do that without breaking down again. He got teary eyed just thinking about it. He had cried more in the last day than he did in his entire life and couldn't stand it anymore. _Ulrich must already think I'm a huge wimp, but he deserves to know. He'll find out eventually, so he might as well hear it from me._

Odd gathered up all the courage he had and tried to explain to Ulrich what happened. Before he could start, he felt his face begin to burn and his eyes become watery. "Okay, Ulrich, I'll…I'll tell you." Odd began, stumbling a bit. "Yesterday, Delmas called me down to his…his office and told me something…something that will forever change my life." Tears began to stream down the blonde's face. "Ulrich, they're…they're…they're go…gone. My…my par…my parents are g…they're gone!" Odd's floodgates burst open, rivers of tears flowing from the eyes of a tormented boy, now all alone in the world.

Ulrich was dumbstruck. He couldn't believe that Odd lost his parents so early in his life. Ulrich couldn't even imagine the anguish the boy was in, and it wouldn't be fair to say that he did. Sure losing the big soccer game or breaking an ankle was bad, but it didn't even come close to his best friend's crisis. Ulrich said the only thing he could say to anyone who suffered the loss of a loved one. "I'm sorry, buddy. I am truly sorry." Ulrich's eyes burned with shame. Had he known, he wouldn't have pressed the matter further. He would have never guessed the situation in a million years. Ulrich left the confines of his mind again and turned back to the wreck that was Odd DellaRobbia. He was crying quietly to himself now, as if he were all alone. Ulrich took his friend in his arms and held him close. He consoled his companion to the best of his ability. It was the only thing he could do.

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Mr. Stern and Mr. DellaRobbia stood outside the office of Jean-Pierre Delmas. Both teens looked at the door, then knocked to enter.

"Come in." Boomed a voice form the inside. Ulrich and Odd both entered to see the principal sitting at his desk. It seemed that he, like the nurse, was filling out an endless stack of paperwork. "Boys, please take a seat," The man gestures to the two leather seats in front of his desk. The brunette took the right seat as the blonde took the left. The headmaster finished what he was doing and looked at the kids once again, first at Ulrich, then to Odd. Then, Delmas started his speech. "I understand that you two boys got in a bit of a fight last night at dinner. Is this true?"

"That's correct, sir," Odd replied in a dejected tone.

"Yes, sir," Ulrich mirrored

"I want you to know I'm extremely disappointed with both of you. Fighting is no way to solve your problems, it only makes matters worse. You both should be ashamed of yourselves." Indeed, both boys looked embarrassed. "I should suspend you both immediately. Do you think so, Ulrich?"

"Yes I do, sir. I acted inappropriately last night." The green clad responded.

"I believe so too, but I'm going to go against my better judgment." Both the blonde and brunette's faces cheered up considerably. "Extreme circumstances that occurred yesterday drove emotions haywire, and I understand that." Delmas looked at Odd. "Neither of you will be punished for your transgressions. However, this is your final warning. Anymore nonsense will result in an automatic ten day suspension. Do I make myself clear?"

"Absolutely crystal, sir" Odd responded

"Yes, sir," Ulrich answered.

"Good. You are dismissed." The headmaster allowed the boys to leave, but as they reached the door, he remembered something. "Odd, can you stay another second, I have a personal matter for us to work out." Odd looked puzzled, but agreed nevertheless. Ulrich was halfway out the door when Odd stopped him in his tracks.

"Sir, can Ulrich stay? Anything you tell me, you can tell him." Ulrich was flatted by his friend's request. The principal nodded and the two friends went back to their previous seats.

Jean knew he had to touch on this next subject carefully. _Anymore stress and this boy will crumble to pieces_. "Odd, I was contacted by Social Services today." Odd didn't like the way this conversation was heading. "They say that you have no family members left to take you in." Ulrich didn't like the way this was going. "Unfortunately, that makes you an orphan." Odd's eyes began to bug out. He kinda knew that the news was coming, but wasn't ready for it.

"But, I get to stay here at Kadic, right?" Odd asked, fearing it's result. The principal just looked down, he knew he was going to break the boy's heart. He didn't want to, but it was his job.

"Odd, I'm sorry. They already have a foster family lined up for you." Odd couldn't believe it. Every single thing that could've gone wrong in the last thirty-six hours happened. He lost his parents, he got in a fight with his best friend, he suffered a major panic attack, slipped into unconsciousness, became an orphan, and was now going to lose his only remaining family at Kadic. The only thing in this world that could keep him sane was going to be taken away from him?

Ulrich was in shock himself. He couldn't believe that Odd would be ripped away from him and his friends. It just wasn't fair. The green clad couldn't possibly think of life without the zany, goofy, funny Odd around, cheering everybody up. What would they do without him?

Jean-Pierre felt sorry for the teen. Sure, he made trouble occasionally, but he was a nice kid. He wished he could do something to help the distraught teen, but his hands were tied by the system. There was nothing he could do.

It seemed that Odd recovered enough to talk again. "Sir," the blonde sniffled, holding back his liquid emotion, "is there anything you can do?" The headmaster anticipated the question, and it tore his heart out to give Odd the unpopular response.

"I'm sorry, I can't do anything." Mr. Delmas grimaced and looked away. He couldn't see the face of the boy he just shattered.

That was it, the final nail in the coffin. Odd was a broken soul. He knew his life just wouldn't be the same, and could do nothing to stop the impending changes. There was no rewind button to make everything back to normal, no pause button to stop and think about the events that were just whizzing by, and certainly no erase button to make everything go away. Odd was stuck in fast-forward, life going too fast to comprehend and understand.

Odd just…just needed to get away. He bolted out of his chair and out of the office. He ran down the hall and out of view. Ulrich was about to chase Odd when the Headmaster halted him. "Ulrich, Odd needs to do this himself. Please, do not interfere. He needs to find himself by himself. When he's ready, he'll come out." Ulrich was just going to disregard and pursue his purple clad friend, but the old man made sense. Odd did need to do this by himself. Ulrich merely nodded, showing he understood. "Why don't you get some rest, Ulrich? You look like a zombie. If he comes back, you'll be the first one to know."

"Okay, sir." And with that, Ulrich left the office and headed towards the dorms. He had no intention of sleeping today. The brunette had some friends to update and some calls to make. He was determined to do something…something to turn Odd's life around before he hit a dead end.

_I'll save you Odd…_

A/N Well, I hope you enjoyed this long chapter. If it seemed rushed, tell me so I know. An author's best tool for improvement is their loyal readers' reviews. And, possible WARNING for next chapter. There will be some things going down either chapter 5(next) or 6(the one after.) I don't know if I'll follow my plot outline. Anyway, you'll find out soon enough. Bye for now.


	5. Chapter 5: My First Friend

A/N **Sorry** it took so long to update. Flu/School/Cold/Pain in the Ass Teachers/Parents/Finals don't help me update any faster. Anyway, here's chapter 5.

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part Code Lyoko**

**Chapter 5: My First Friend**

Not too long after he left the principal's office, Ulrich found himself outside Jeremie's dorm. He'd done a lot of thinking along the way, mainly processing the happenings of the last hour. Not only had he learned that Odd was parentless, but that his purple obsessed friend wouldn't be around too much longer.

The brunette turned his attention back to Jeremie's door after his mini-distraction. He knocked and let himself in. Ulrich saw Yumi sleeping one bed while Aelita snoozed on the other. Even in slumber, the green lad noticed worry eclipsing the girls' expressions.

Surprisingly, the blonde genius wasn't fast asleep. He was hunched over at his desk, sitting in his computer chair. At first, it looked like he was just sitting there, staring at the glossy oak of his desk. Upon further inspection, Ulrich discovered, that Jeremie was looking at his beloved birthday present; it was the one Odd gave him, the one of him and all his friends standing together.

"I like that that drawing, too." Ulrich stated, quietly walking up to Jeremie.

"It's the best present I've ever gotten." Jeremie replied, whirling around to face the soccer star.

From first sight, Ulrich could tell Jeremie wasn't doing too well. He looked extremely worn-out, bags under his eyes, his hair unkempt, his glasses misaligned.

"How's he doing?" Jeremie asked

"Physically, he's fine," Ulrich started, "but mentally, he's a wreck. The nurse said he collapsed because of post-traumatic stress."

"Stress form what?" Jeremie countered.

"He, um, uh…" Ulrich stammered

"Out with it, Ulrich." Jeremie was becoming impatient.

"He…he lost his parents, Jer."

"Oh my god. That's horrible…" The blonde was at a loss for words.

"But that's not the end of it, there's more."

"More?" Jeremie asked unbelieving, regaining some of his voice.

"Odd is going to be sent away to a foster family." The green clad solemnly answered, his eyes becoming watery. "Social services already lined him up with a family. He'll be gone in two weeks and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Jeremie looked at Ulrich like he speaking a different language, as if he didn't understand. What he said couldn't be true. Maybe he heard wrong…

"Can you say that again, Ulrich?"

"Odd's leaving Kadic in two weeks and there's nothing we can do. I already asked Delmas if he block the adoption, but he's not allowed to interfere with social services." Ulrich grimaced.

"I guess I heard right then…" Jeremie looked as if he allowed XANA to take over the world.

Ulrich could see the sadness in the blonde's blue orbs. He knew that the purple clad boy meant a lot to Jeremie. After all, Odd was the genius' first real friend, way before Ulrich, Yumi, or Aelita.

The two blondes met at Kadic Elementary in the 3rd grade. Back then, Jeremie was beat up on a daily basis. Odd, as he was now, was the class clown. One day, Jeremie was being bullied by Joey B., the biggest kind in the class. After Jeremie refused to give Joey his lunch money, he got a swift punch to the face, knocking him to the ground. Odd ran over to help him up, but Joey B. didn't like that too much. Odd got the beating of his life, but spared Jeremie of anymore pain. They've been friends ever since.

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Demarco DellaRobbia; his Italian half. He was a thin man. His job as a personal trainer kept him in shape. He had a gentle face, blue eyes, and rich chocolate hair. The man barely topped 5' 9" in height, but if you thought you could beat this guy in a fight, you would be sadly mistaken. Demarco was tough when he _needed_ to be, otherwise, he was a laid back guy.

Mr. DellaRobbia was extremely close to his son. He talked to him every week, whether by mail, e-mail, or phone. The idea of shipping his son off to some boarding school in wasn't that of a great father-son relationship. But, with the traveling he and his wife did, it wouldn't be fair to keep enrolling his boy in a new school every few months. It would be better to see his son get a good education from a well recognized school and only see him a few times a year; whatever was best for Odd.

The night of the crash…he saw those eighteen wheels charging at him, head-on. He couldn't get out of the way, the breaks failed. _I love you, son………_

Birget DellaRobbia; his Norwegian half. She was a nicely shaped woman. She had long blonde locks, cerulean blue eyes, and a smile that could brighten the darkest corners of hell. Height-wise, she was short, barely reaching 5'6".

Mrs. DellaRobbia was a creative being; an artist trying to get discovered. The created numerous paintings. Many of them told the quiet story of the French countryside. However, her most prized work was of her son. Odd was clothed in his usual purple attire, grinning like a fool. His mother captured his essence perfectly; a carefree spirit.

The night of the crash…she saw those eighteen wheels charging at her, head-on. She couldn't get out of the way, the brakes failed. _I love you, Odd…_

Odd didn't make it far after he left Delmas' office. Although he sprinted out of the room, he lost his energy fast, only making it to the courtyard bench before his legs gave out. He collapsed on the wooden slats that the seat offered.

_How could this happen? How could this happen to _me_? What did I do to deserve this? _The purple clad youth was curled up on the bench, legs to his chest, eyes wide shut. Anguish seized the small teen's body, refusing to lessen its grip. It was suffocating him; overwhelming him. Small streams leaked from the corners of Odd's azure orbs. _Why me?_

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A/N I know what you're thinking. It took two months for _this_. I know it wasn't the greatest or the longest chapter, but I had to post something. This was technically only half of the chapter; the flashback part. I decided to split it. I PROMICE I'll update within a week and the next chapter will be much longer. Until then, read and review.


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